Indonesia Tourism

The Majapahit dynasty, based in and around East Java, began the foundations of an empire that was to dominate the entire Indonesian archipelago, the Malay Peninsula and part of the Philippines for hundreds of years. This was the beginning of profitable trade relations with China, Cambodia, Siam, Burma and Vietnam. As the power in Central Java declined in the 10th century, powerful kingdoms rose in East Java to fill the power vacuum. During the reign of King Erlangga both East Java and Bali enjoyed lucrative trade with the surrounding islands, and an artistic and intellectual renaissance. Parts of the Mahabarata epic were translated and re-interpreted to conform to an East Javanese philosophy and view of life, and it was from this era that East Java inherited much of its temple art. Today the open-air amphitheater at Pandaan performan-ces tell some of the stories of this glorious past, set against an impressive backdrop of distant volcanoes, capturing the spirit of the province’s culture and scenery. East Java’s claim to fame in modern history is its vanguard role in the struggle for independence against colonial forces in 1945. Little of the Majapahit Empire’s former glory still stands in East Java. Nevertheless, East Java has a variety of attractions, ranging from temple sites to unspoiled beaches, stunning volcanoes, extra ordinary highland lakes, resplendent marine parks and fantastic wildlife reserves. The provincial capital, Surabaya is second in size, population, and commerce only to Jakarta. It is also the most industrialized province in the nation with the strong economy based on agriculture, (coffee, mangoes and apples), fisheries and oil.

How to Get there
The province is efficiently connected to the rest of Java by good roads, regular trains, and air services between Surabaya and other major cities in the country including Denpasar on Bali, which is only half an hour’s flight away.

Tourism Events

• Reog Ponorogo is a unique and daring performance in which dancers carry a very heavy headdress of tiger head ornamented with peacock feathers. The dance depicts a fight between a tiger and two noblemen on horseback. The Reog Festival held every August 17 in Ponorogo, 200 km southwest of Surabaya.
• Karapan Sapi (Bull Races) in Bangkalan Madura, about two hour by speedboat from Surabaya is a very popular sport among locals. It is an annual championship event and held every September and October after harvests.

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Places to Visit in Indonesia

» Bali » Bangka-Belitung » Banten » Bengkulu » Central Java » Central Kalimantan » Central Sulawesi » East Java » East Kalimantan » East Nusa Tenggara » Gorontalo » Jakarta

» Jambi » Lampung » Maluku » Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam » North Maluku » North Sulawesi » North Sumatra » Papua » Riau » Riau Islands » South East Sulawesi » South Kalimantan

» South Sulawesi » South Sumatra » West Java » West Kalimantan » West Nusa Tenggara » West Papua » West Sulawesi » West Sumatra » Yogyakarta